Mikel Brown Jr., the Brooklyn Nets' No. 6 overall pick in the recent NBA draft, is expected to make his Summer League debut on Monday against the Golden State Warriors. Brown missed the Nets' first two Summer League games, which were part of the California Classic.
The Nets split their initial two games, losing to Sacramento before defeating Milwaukee 89-69 on Sunday. Brown, along with teammates Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore, sat out the opener against the Kings. An even more limited lineup was available for Sunday's game.
"The approach for the last game, have our roster guys back into the rotation. The hope is that Mikel is ready to play," Nets summer league coach Dutch Gaitley said regarding Brown's potential appearance. "We’ll see about Danny, see how his back’s feeling."
Gaitley indicated that the decision on Brown's playing status is "above my pay grade," but added, "I think the plan is that he is going to play." The coach also noted that the team's performance in the games Brown missed set a positive tone.
During his freshman season at Louisville, Brown Jr. missed 14 games due to a lower back injury. He was sidelined for eight games from December to early January and an additional six games later in the season.
In Sunday's victory over Milwaukee, the Nets held the Bucks to 32.3% shooting. Ben Humrichous led the Nets with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Hunter Sallis contributed 15 points, six assists, and six boards. Dion Brown registered a plus-27 rating before exiting the game with a limp.
Several other players, including Wolf, Nolan Traore (knee surgery), Egor Dëmin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Tyler Bilodeau, and Chaney Johnson, were also unavailable for the Nets in the early Summer League games. The trade that brought rookie Joshua Jackson to the Nets officially becomes active on Monday. Rookie Nate Ament was also unavailable for the Milwaukee Bucks for logistical reasons.